Consecutive-view apparatus.



' N0. 636,500. Patented Nov. 7, 1899.

W. K. L. DICKSDN.

CONSECUTIVE VIEW APPARATUS.

(Application filed Sept. 27, 1897.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

ATTORNEYS No. 636,500. Patented Nov. 7, I899.

W. K. L. DICKSON. CONSECUTIVE VIEW APPARATUS.

(Appllcatmn file Sept. 27, 1897.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

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WITNESSES: INVENTOR BY QQMZTQ hhmmw ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

'WILLIAM KENNEDY LAURIE DICKSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THEAMERICAN MUTOSCOPE AND BIOGRAII'I COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CONSECUTIVE-VIEW APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,500, dated November'7, 1899. Application filed September 27, 1897. Serial No. 653,282. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM KENNEDY LAU- RIE DIOKSON, a subject of theQueen of England, residing at New York, in the county of New York andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inConsecutive-View Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to consecutive-view apparatus, and particularly toconsecutiveview apparatus of the type of the mutoscope covered byLetters Patent No. 549,309, dated November 5, 1895, and issued to HermanCasler.

My invention consists in the novel means employed for passing asuccession of cards through the field of the apparatus and holding eachcard stationary when in said field and in the novel combination,construction, and arrangement of the parts.

The objects of my invention are, first, to improve the construction ofthat class of consecutive-view apparatus which employ a succession ofcards mounted upon a movable carrier by providing means for holding eachcard as it passes through the field of the apparatus stationary thereinfor a brief instant in a position at right angles to the optical axisand for holding the other cards during this period of exposure out ofthis field; second, to provide a simple form of consecutiveviewapparatus especially adapted for use as a projecting apparatus and whichis simpler, more compact, and more easily operated than formerprojecting consecutive-view apparatus, and, third, to make the apparatussimple, compact, durable, and inexpensive. These objects are attained inthe invention herein described, and illustrated in the drawings whichaccompany and form a part of this specification, in which the samereference-numerals indicate the same or corre sponding parts.

In the drawings I have shown my invention as applied to a projectingapparatus. It is for use as a projecting apparatus that my invention isparticularly intended, though it may also be employed as a direct-visionapparatus or in a camera. In most projecting consecutive-view apparatusheretofore devised thepictures have been upon a long band or strip offlexible photographic film, which is moved at a high speed through thefield of the apparatus, being wound from asupplyspool upon areceiving-spool and being moved intermittently through the field of theapparatus, each view being stationary in said field for a brief instantwhile it is exposed. The mechanism for handling the film strip and formoving it intermittently in this manner is necessarily somewhatcomplicated, and if pictures of a size adapted to give the best resultsare used or if the film is fed through the apparatus at the speedrequired to give the best results considerable power is required todrive this film-handling mechanism. The herein illustrated and describedconsecutive-view apparatus is capable of employing as large pictures ascan be employed in any film-strip apparatus and of passing thesepictures through the field of the apparatus as rapidly as can be done inany film-strip apparatus and is far simpler and less expensive, besidesrequiring less power in operation.

The invention consists in mounting a succession of view-carriers, whichmay be transparencies, upon a movable carrier arranged to pass thesecarriers or cards successively through the field of the apparatus and inproviding stops for engaging these cards successively, one stop being soplaced as to hold each card as it passes through the field of theapparatus stationary at right angles to the optical axis and the otherstop being so placed as to permit only one card or picture carrier to bein the field of the apparatus at any one time.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation and partial section of aconsecutive-view projecting apparatus constructed in accordance with myinvention in which the light is projected through the views, which aretransparencies. Fig. 2 is a similar detail view illustrating a modifiedconstruction of the view-feeding mechanism. Fig. 3 is an elevation of aprojecting apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention inwhich the p it of pictures.

light is reflected from the views through the objective, and Fig. 4. isa horizontal section of this machine through the line :20 0c of Fig. 3

In the drawings, 1 is an inclosing case.

2 is an objective lens.

3 is a condensing-lens, and at is a source of light.

5 is a belt orband upon which are mounted a series of picture carriersor cards 6. The belt 5 runs over two pulleys, one, 7, in the field ofthe apparatus, which field lies between the condensing and objectivelenses, and the other, 8, which is beneath or to one side of the pulley7 and is the driving-pulley. It may be rotated by any suitable means.

The picture-cards (J for the form of apparatus shown in Fig. 1 may beformed of transparent celluloid, such as is used for what are known ascut photographic films or of any other resilient material which issufficiently transparent to permit the projection through For the formof apparatus shown in Fig. 3, in which the light is reflected from thefaces of the cards, these cards may be formed of cardboard or otherresilient material. The cards are secured rigidly at their inner ends tothe belt or band 5, but are free at their outer ends.

9 and 10 are stops which engage the outer edges of the cards and retardtheir passage. 9 is so placed as to hold the cards out of the field ofview until the cards bend and so slip by the stop or detent. 10 is soplaced as to hold each card stationary for an instant in the field ofthe apparatus and at substantially right angles to the optical axis. Thecards being successively moved through and held stationary for a briefinstant in the field of the apparatus are in position for the passage ofrays of light through them and the projection of the pictures which theycarry by the objective lens upon the screen.

The operation of myinvention is as follows: The pulley 8 being rotatedso as to drive the belt or band 5, the picture-cards 6 are suecessivelymoved past the stop 9 into the field of the apparatus, then past thestop 10, and out of said field. Each card is held stationary for aninstant by each stop and does not move past said stop until by theforward movement of the band 5 the card has been bent to such an extentthat when it slips by the detent it will spring forward withconsiderable velocity against the detent 10, by which it is held untilin a similar manner it springs forward past the detent 10 and out of thefield of view. In this way the cards successively pass through the fieldof view and the pictures which they carry are successively thrown uponthe screen. The cards may be passed through the field of viewsuccessivelyin this manner with any desired speed and with such speedthat the successive views upon the screen become blended to the eye andproduce to the eye the appearance of motion.

The cards may be secured to the belt 5 in any suitable manner. Insteadof being secured rigidly, as above described,'they may have any otherconnection which will cause them to spring forward rapidly after theyhave passed the stops 9 and lO-such, for instance, as a spring-hingeconnection.

I do not limit my invention to the use of a flexible band or belt as acarrier for the cards. Any other suitable carrier may be used. Neitheris my invention limited to use in projecting apparatus simply. Ifinstead of the lens 2 there be a simple observation-opening in the case1, the apparatus may be used as a direct-vision-reprod ucing apparatuswith or without a source of illumination 4:. If the cards 6 have lightsensitive surfaces, the apparatus may be used as a camera. The inventiontherefore is applicable to consecutiveview apparatus generally and notsimply to consecutive-view projecting apparatus. In this type ofapparatus no shutter is necessary. Preferably the upper guide-roller 7is of small diameter, as this tends to produce separation of thepicture-cards while passing around the belt. Instead of a pulley 7 awedge-shaped block 7, Fig. 2, may be used, havingits corners rounded, sothat the belt maybe pulled around it. This is a guide for the beltequivalent to the pulley 7. Instead of causing the light to pass throughthe picture-cards, as shown in Fig. 1, the apparatus maybe arranged toproject by reflection, as shown in Figs. 3 and at, the light beingprojected upon these cards from lamps a at the sides. This light isrefiected by the picture-cards into the objective lens and is projectedthereby upon this screen.

Having thus completely described my invention, what I claim, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a consecutive-view apparatus, the combination, with a case havingan opening through which views may be projected or observed,a carriermovably mounted within said case, and means for operating the carrier,of a series of picture-cards mounted upon and secured at one end to saidcarrier, and detents adapted to engage the outer ends of said cards andmomentarily retard them, one detent bein g arranged to hold said cardsbackward just prior to their passage into the field of the apparatus,and another being arranged to hold each card stationary momentarily insaid field, substantially as described.

2. In a consecutive-view apparatus, the combination, with a case havingan opening through which views may be projected or ob served, a carriermovably mounted within said case, and means for driving the carrier, ofa series of flexible and resilient picture-cards mounted upon andrigidly secured at one end to said carrier, and detents adapted toengage the outer ends of said cards and momentarily retard them, onedetent being arranged to hold said cards backward just prior to theirpassage into the field. of the apparatus, and

another being arranged to hold each card stationary momentarily in saidfield, substantially as described.

3. In a consecutive view apparatus, the combination, with a case havingan opening through which views may be projected or observed, a flexibleband or belt movably mou nted within said case, guides for said band orbelt, means for driving the same, and a series of picture-cards mountedupon and secured at one end to said band or belt, of detents adapted toengage the outer ends of said cards and momentarily retard them, onedetent being arranged to hold said cards backward just prior to theirpassage into the field of the apparatus, and anotherbeing arranged tohold each card stationary momentarily in said field, substantially asdescribed.

4:- In a consecutiveview apparatus, the combination, with a case havingan opening through which views maybe projected or observed, a flexibleband orbelt movably mounted within said case, a driving-pulley overwhich said belt passes and by which it may be driven, another guide forsaid belt of small width and in close proximity to the field of view,and means for rotating said driving pulley, of a series of picture-cardsmounted upon and secured at one end to said carrier, and detents adaptedto engage the outer ends of said cards and momentarily retard them, onedetent being arranged to hold said cards backward just prior to theirpassage into the field of the apparatus, and another being arranged tohold each card stationary 1n omentarily in said field, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a consecutive-view apparatus, the combination, with the lens andilluminating apparatus of a projecting apparatus, and a carrier movablymounted and means for driving the same, of a series of picture-cardsmounted upon an d secured at one end to said carrier, and detentsadapted to engage the outer ends of said cards and momentarily retardthem, one detent being arranged to hold said cards backward just priorto their passage into the field of the apparatus, and another beingarranged to hold each card stationary momentarily in said field,substantially as described.

6. In a consecutive-view apparatus, the combination, with condensing andobjective lenses and a source of illumination, of a carrier movablymounted and means for driving the same, a series of picture-cardsmounted upon and secured at one end to said carrier, said carrier beingarranged to pass said cards between the condensing and objective lenses,and detents adapted to engage the outer ends of said cards andmomentarily retard them, one detent being arranged to hold said cardsbackward just prior to their passage through the field of theapparatus,.and another being arranged to hold each card stationarymomentarily in said field and at right angles to the optical axis,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM KENNEDY LAURIE DICKSON.

Witnesses:

ELIAS BsKOOPMAN, E. SnoULs.

